Torch
by Welcome to the New
Summary: Sometimes I wonder why I bothered joining SHIELD. Now I'm suppose to watch over some Parker kid because he's a potential threat. Only problem is, I have no idea how big of a threat he really is. Sequel to History.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

One thing I've never done since arriving here was explore the city. Sure Steve showed me some of the best cafes and museums. But for the most part I've stayed either in my apartment or on the Grid. I guess training to become a SHIELD agent had something to do with my lack of exploration.

So while I had some free time, and the fact that it was finally nice out, I decided to take the opportunity. Fury had given me a few weeks off after the whole Mandarin incident.

Basically some maniac wanted to kill the President during Christmas Eve. He was using something called Extremis to heal wounds, even grow back body parts. But he was also out for revenge. In the end Iron Man managed to take him down.

Now that the world was at peace again, for the most part, I was left with nothing to do. Beck and Tron were busy trying to figure out what was going on with the Grid. And of course I was left in the dark. They were hiding something from me, and I wasn't too fond of that.

"What are you up to?" I had to laugh as Rinzler pounced on what looked like a speck of dust. He was always getting into trouble now that I was back from my mission.

While I was away Natasha had left him in the care of Steve. And from what I've gathered Steve just announced that he'd never own a cat if given the chance. Something tells me that Rinzler was up to know good, yet again.

He just gave me a look with large orange eyes, like he usually did, and mewled in response. Shaking my head in disapproval, I picked him up and placed him on the sofa. "You be good, I'll be back soon," I told him. Hey, he may not understand me, but it worked for the most part.

Once I made sure I was ready, I headed for the door. For the most part I always had my hands, arms and legs covered. It wasn't because I was afraid of the way I looked. I usually kept my hands covered because of the scars. Most people had learned to ignore them, but there were still those strangers that would stare at me in shock.

Back when I was younger, I'd been stuck on the Grid. The Grid is a digital utopia, where programs who are like people live. And while I was stuck on the Grid, I'd been captured by a program known as Rinzler. He was Clu's puppet, forced to derezz, or kill, programs for 'breaking the law'. Basically Clu was the ruler of the Grid until Sam Flynn and his father had taken him down.

Now there was no ruler. So far peace had been keeping it's hold on the Grid. But I've learned in my short time here that peace would never last.

So while my Rinzler was curling up to sleep on the couch, I took the chance to get outside.

People who were passing by shot me curious looks as I avoided their gazes. I still find it hard to believe I was actually here in the User world. A few months ago I was still on the Grid, trying to figure out a way to bring Clu down. In that short amount of time I'd found out who my real parents were, and found quite a few more secrets SHIELD was keeping from them.

Between all of my training and field work, I'm surprised I haven't passed out from exhaustion yet. Back when I was still 'keeping an eye' on Tony, I'd gone for several days with little to no sleep at all. To top things off I now had the Tesseract infecting my body in some strange way.

I still don't know much about it, aside from the fact that it protected me from those guards a few days ago. Now every month I needed to have a checkup with Bruce Banner to make sure that nothing serious was happening. I'm guessing that this was set up by my oh so wonderful parents.

By now I've gotten pretty familiar with my surroundings. Sure the city was a bit overwhelming at first. But when you've grown up on the Grid, this is pretty easy in comparison.

Buildings towered above me, along with a few skyscrapers. In the mix of it all was Stark Tower, looming ahead. After spending a few days there, I was more than happy to have a place of my own. I'm sure the rest of the Avengers felt the same way. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but after a while I'm sure everyone got sick of seeing one another.

Part of me wondered if joining SHIELD was a good thing. I missed spending time on the Grid. I missed being around familiar faces all the time, and I especially missed Beck. I like to think I joined SHIELD to keep an eye on Cyrus. But some part of me thought otherwise.

Something caught my attention shortly after mulling over the thoughts. I heard the sound of chanting, and I turned slightly to see a group of kids gathered around in what looked like a school yard. Picking up something like 'eat it', I gathered my courage and cautiously approached to see what was going on.

A ring of students were gathered around one of their own. Most of them were teenagers, high school students. The majority of them had the sense to avoid the fight that was breaking out. And it took me a few seconds to realize that these kids were bullying a fellow student.

"Put him down." A young girl with long blond hair had approached them, seeming all too aware of what was going on. It took me a few minutes to recognize her. I've seen her before, especially since Fury keeps files on just about anyone deemed important to SHIELD. "Eugene."

A few of the students made an 'oohing' noise, followed by the kid that I guessed got hit during the fight. I really wished I could go in and break them apart, show them what it was like to be in a real fight. But something held me back. Shouldn't there be teachers keeping an eye on things?

I'm not too familiar with the way school works here. I've never had the chance to go to school. So I wasn't exactly sure what to do with this whole scenerio. If I'm lucky I wouldn't have to do anything. These students should be smart enough to know better.

"Get up!" snapped another voice – I'm guessing it was one of the bullies.

The blond pushed her way through the crowd, eyes narrowed with annoyance as she joined the ring of students. The shouting finally died down to their normal voices as she pushed them apart. I'm guessing the fight had come to an end, so I took the moment to leave.

Yet for some reason I couldn't help but stay. The kid seemed oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite place where I had seen him before. Considering the fact I've only been in the User world for a few months, this was beginning to annoy me. The bell rang, signaling it was time for class to start. One of the boys walking past kicked what looked like a camera, smirking as he walked past. As he picked it up to check on it, a gust of wind suddenly stirred up the papers he had been holding on to. He managed to grab most of the papers, but one flew just out of reach, right towards me.

Taking a quick look at the paper I just caught, I noticed that formulas were written all over. Somehow I was reminded of the scientific notes Bruce was always jotting down when he got the chance. This guy looked like he was almost on the same level intelligence-wise.

"Thanks, that was lucky," he said after noticing I'd caught it.

"Are you okay? That looks pretty nasty." I nodded towards the bruise on his jaw.

"I've been through worse," he replied with the slightest grins. "Were you watching that whole thing?"

"Uh... yeah," I murmured sheepishly. "I was about to take them on... I'm not a big fan of bullies." I added the last part with a shrug.

"You're more than welcome to." Glancing over his shoulders, he must have just realized that he was already running late. "I uh... should probably go," he stammered.

"Yeah, you probably should." Grinning back, I waved goodbye as he headed for class.

Okay, now I really wish I knew who that was. For some reason he looked oddly familiar. The blond I recognized from the police force. Her father was the deputy, and she was known as Gwen Stacey. I've seen them a few times thanks to SHIELD, but that was about it.

With a shrug of my shoulders, I decided it was better not to think about it. I probably wasn't going to see him again, and truthfully, I'm sure he wouldn't want to see me again. So for now, I would let it go.

* * *

**AN: Okay, so this is the beginning of a new story and adventure for Mira. So excited about this one, mostly because it's Spiderman. I just couldn't resist writing this one ;) The other one I was planning will still be posted, but it won't be started for another couple of days. Please let me know what you thought of it! And the title is based off of a song from Everfound. If you haven't heard it, than go and check it out :)  
**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

"So exactly what am I doing here?" Director Fury stood in front of me, arms folded and getting straight to the point.

After spending the night reading through files and returning for a short while to the Grid, I was pretty worn out. So I was less than happy to receive a call asking to show up at work early. And by early I mean four in the morning. Yeah, way to give me the next few weeks off Fury.

"I want you to keep an eye on this kid." I raised an eyebrow as he passed me a file. I was even more surprised to see a familiar face on the edge of the file.

"Why?" No wonder he looked so familiar. I've seen files of the name Parker somewhere, back when Beck and I managed to hack into the system. For the most part I'd ignored the files, mostly because at the time they weren't important. Now I almost wished I had read them when I had the chance.

"You may have heard of Richard Parker," Fury began. At that I nodded. I've heard the name before. But I wasn't about to tell him that I remembered it from the files we'd hacked into. "Richard Parker was on the verge of making an important discovery when he suddenly disappeared. No one knows what happened to him. But he did leave his son in the hands of May and Ben Parker."

"So I'm guessing that Peter is somehow connected with his disappearance?" I glanced at the file uneasily.

The only spying I've really done was back on the Grid. And that wasn't much. Tron had kept the spying thing up to Beck. And when I was finally given the opportunity, I failed miserably. Needless to say, it wasn't something I looked forward to.

"We believe he is. Which is why I want you to keep an eye on him. Make friends with him and figure out what he's up to." I simply nodded in response once again. Sure making friends was a good thing. But wouldn't that just put his life in danger?

"So that's it, nothing else?" Tilting my head to one side, I had to wonder if this was really a good idea.

Shouldn't they send in someone with more experience? Like Natasha or Clint? Than I realized that sounded a bit strange. Considering they were adults, and would likely scare Peter out of his wits if they crossed paths.

"Tomorrow you'll be joining the students of Midtown Science High School on their tour of Oscorp. It'll give you an opportunity to find out more about this new case." I flinched at the term 'new case'.

Okay, that wasn't too bad. I've passed the Oscorp building a few times. From what I've gathered it was similar to Stark Industries. Tony would just scoff at me and say they aren't nearly as advanced technology wise.

"Sounds like a plan," I replied with a shrug. "Guess I'll get started than."

Turning away, I really hoped that this wouldn't end like the 'Mandarin' experience. After everything that happened, I wasn't sure if I could handle that again. But this was why I had joined SHIELD. Well, it was partly why I joined SHIELD.

I suppose things could be a lot worse for me. I could be in Cyrus's position and locked up in a prison cell somewhere.

Cyrus is a whole other story though. He was Tron's former apprentice and had pretty much lost his mind during his training. And of course when Beck and I managed to escape to the User world, he was bent on getting his revenge. It was only thanks to teaming up with the Avengers that he was finally taken down.

Once I was outside the HQ building again, I pulled down the sleeves on my sweater. Spring may be coming around the corner, but it was still cool out. I sure hoped the cold weather ended soon. I'm getting tired of the wind and arctic air following it.

I was headed for my apartment when someone bumped into me. "Sorry!" The voice sounded slightly panicked as they apologized.

"It's fine, really." I had to hold back a laugh when I recognized that someone as the boy from the high school. It took me a few seconds to realize that this kid was Peter Parker, SHIELD's latest interest.

"Hey, you were at the high school yesterday, weren't you?" It must have taken him a few seconds to recognize me, though I wasn't surprised.

I thanked the Lord that he didn't recognize me from that news leak a few months ago. If he had he probably would've run the moment he could. Because really, having master assassins as your parents wasn't exactly the best thing in the world. Especially when most of the world knew about it.

"Yeah I was." Peter looked dumbfounded as he tried to figure out what to say next.

"Uh, I never really introduced myself back there... I'm Peter Parker." Eventually he took out his hand in greetings.

"Mira." Another awkward silence followed, until Peter ruffled the back of his curly hair.

"So what, you don't have a last name or anything?" He was trying to play it cool. I have to admit, I was thankful for that as well.

"I do, I just..." I fumbled around to try and explain myself. Last thing I wanted was to tell him the truth. Besides, I was supposed to find out more about _him_, right?

"Hey, it's fine," he quickly said with the slightest of grins. "So do you live around here? I don't think I've seen you since yesterday."

"I live just a few blocks from here," I explained as we started walking again. I'm not even sure how this happened. I guess he was on his way back from school, judging from the fact that he was carrying his backpack. "I just never had the chance to really explore the city," I added carefully.

Peter just nodded to that. I get the feeling he had more questions to ask, but he wasn't sure how to ask them. Thankfully it didn't take me long to reach my apartment. If Steve was home he showed no signs of it, and for once I was thankful for that.

"I guess I'll see you later, maybe?" Peter eyed me warily as I headed for my apartment.

"I guess so." I smiled back as he waved goodbye, heading for the nearest subway.

Okay, maybe this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. Peter seemed nice enough as far as people went. So I was supposed to make friends with someone who was already friendly enough. I guess this mission could be a lot worse.

Holding back a sigh, I headed inside to see a familiar face peering up at me. Rinzler was sitting on the sofa, looking more than just bored. I had to admit I've been slightly busier than usual. I couldn't blame Rinzler for behaving like this. Maybe it would do him some good staying on the Grid for a while.

Speaking of which, I really should find out what was going on. Lately Beck and Tron have been having some trouble since the Mandarin incident. They were clearly keeping something from me, and I was determined to find out what that something was.

I took a deep breath before switching on the Digitizer. Thanks to all the work Tony, Sam and Quorra had put into it, the device could now be used on and off the Grid. Meaning I didn't have to worry about being stuck on the Grid anymore.

Shortly after Rinzler jumped down from the sofa and into my waiting arms. He wasted no time in getting comfortable as we were taken back to the Grid. That familiar odd sensation of being digitized followed, and it took me a few seconds to catch my bearings.

Rinzler jumped out of my arms the moment we were back in Argon City. For the most part everything seemed to be in tact. So I had to wonder what exactly was going on here. Either something serious was happening, or Tron was lying to me. Which wouldn't be the first time he's done that.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you to come so early." I jumped at the sound of a familiar voice. To my surprise I realized that it was Sam Flynn. I barely recognized him in a program's suit, but seeing him now, I realized that he looked very similar to Beck.

"I was just checking to see if everything's okay," I explained with a shrug. Part of it was true.

"So far so good, aside from the usual problems." His response made me roll my eyes.

I've been around Natasha long enough to know when someone is lying to me. Keeping a straight face, I just headed for the one place I knew I would find Beck's friends from the garage. Mara and Zed were always hanging out there when they had the chance, especially now that Sam has the place wired up from the User world. Maybe they could tell me what's going on.

Sure enough I spotted them there, talking with a few other programs I recognized from around the city. Music blared in the background as I approached. A few programs were dancing to the beat of the music, while others just caught up with one another.

Thankfully the one program I was looking for had returned shortly after from his patrol. I folded my arms as he stood up warily, realizing that I was waiting for him.

"How was the patrol?" I asked as his light cycle turned back into a baton.

"Uh, the usual. Is everything alright?" Noticing the worry in Beck's voice, I couldn't help but cringe.

Lately we'd both been keeping secrets from one another. I still hadn't told them exactly what happened with the Tesseract being in my body. I wasn't entirely sure what to say to them. Tron would likely blow a circuit or two if he found out.

"Yeah, Fury's got me working on a new case," I murmured halfheartedly. To which I explained the whole meeting Peter Parker and finding out that I was supposed to keep an eye on him. If Beck wasn't wearing his helmet I would've loved to see his face. "Seems like a good kid... just has a lot of problems with bullies."

I frowned at the memories from yesterday. Steve had told me stories of his childhood, where he was beaten up many times for being small and helpless. But he never backed down from a fight. And that was one of the many reasons he became Captain America.

"How long do you think this will take?" Beck leaned against the wall of a building once I was finished retelling what had happened.

"I have no idea," I replied. "I mean, I've only done this once, and look where that got me."

Looking back at it, I had to wonder why Fury chose me of all agents. Surely there were better choices for this case? I wasn't exactly the most patient person, and meeting new people... that wasn't one of my strong points.

"You've already met him, haven't you?" I had to laugh when I heard the accusing tone in Beck's voice. How did he find out so quickly? I suppose I would've told him sooner or later.

"Yeah. He kind of ran into me when I was heading back for my apartment." The more I thought about it, I couldn't help but wonder why Peter was there in the first place. "Hey, you never did tell me what's going on around here," I suddenly put in.

Beck stiffened as if the words had struck him. "I... uh..." Stammering. Why was he stammering? Narrowing my eyes slightly, now I knew for sure that something was up.

"Look, if the Grid is in danger, than I want to help." I bit the bottom of my lip when I said that. Having one mission alone was exhausting enough. I think I'd choose the Grid over Fury's mission any time.

"We won't need any help." Another voice joined us, this one sounding more serious than Beck's. To which I had to roll my eyes.

"Okay, what's going on?" This time I looked at Tron defiantly, hoping that would somehow force him into telling me what was going on.

"Nothing that concerns you." The words made me flinch.

Tron sounded so... cold. Not that I didn't blame him, but he couldn't at least be a bit more caring, right? Anger suddenly churned within me, and my eyes narrowed to a glare.

"You don't want my help, fine! Guess I just won't come back at all!"

Before either of them could say anything, I turned the Digitizer back on. Rinzler jumped into my arms just as it whirred to life. I was in no mood to put up with the lies. Until they straightened this issue up, I wasn't coming back.

* * *

**AN: Wanted to post this early since we're heading out for most of the day. So yeah, that all just happened :P Not really gonna get into more detail over this, but things can only get better, right? So thanks to 2theSky, Briannajs-22, Panda Bear Lover 317 and Sunofaia for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :D**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"**This world is heavy as rain, My heart is barely a spark, I'm crying out your name, Come and drown out the dark, Just like the stars...**"

It was one of those moments where I wish there was a reset button. Just about anything would be better than what had happened hours ago. I'm not even sure how it happened. Turning my back on the Grid was the last thing I wanted. But it happened. And I couldn't take back what I'd said.

So now I was listening to my music while waiting for the right moment to walk into the building looming in front of me. Oscorp wasn't a company I was too familiar with. But the building was huge. Glass windows covered the front of it, and in front of me were revolving doors that people kept coming in and out of. All in all it looked like an over glorified company.

"**Burning brighter like a fire in the sky, Just for your glory oh how I want my life to shine, I want to lift you high**..."

Looking back at my iPhone, I realized that it was time to make an entrance. Well, not much of an entrance anyways. Fury had given me the wonderful assignment of joining the students going on a tour of Oscorp's labs. Just to keep an eye on Peter and see if anything 'interesting' happens.

The lobby inside was just as massive as it looked from the outside. Escalators going up and down were placed on either side of the lobby. Near the center of the space was a large costumer service desk with a few employees keeping an eye on things.

It didn't take me long to spot Peter. He was approaching the receptionist desk; a woman with brown hair tied up to a bun looked like she was studying the computer in front of her intently. She seemed more than happy dealing with people lost or trying to figure out where their groups went.

"Right, you'll find yourself taking a right," the woman said in a voice of disbelief. There was a short pause before she noticed that Peter was standing in front of the desk. "Are you here for the internship?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Peter replied with a sheepish grin.

"Okay, you'll find your badge here, and it's to the left," she told him. She glanced at me in confusion, furrowing her eyebrows when she realized I'd been standing there the whole time. "Can I help you?" She spoke in a formal tone, but I didn't miss the confusion.

"Yeah, I'm... here for the internship." I handed her the signed papers Director Fury had given me. The woman raised an eyebrow before she nodded towards Peter.

"You know what to do," she explained before typing away once more.

Peter smiled when he we fell in beside each other. "Hey, I didn't know you'd be here," he said in a casual tone. "You okay? You look pretty beat," he added after noticing how uneasy I looked.

Actually, I felt pretty awful. After pretty much leaving Beck and Tron in stunned silence, I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. I'm sure appearance wise I didn't look too wonderful. At this point I could really care less how I looked.

"I'll be fine," I replied as calmly as I could.

"Are you having trouble finding yourself?" The woman was getting annoyed, not knowing what to do as we refused to budge.

"Nope, not at all." Peter flashed her a grin before grabbing a random badge.

"Okay, Mr. Guevara." She looked at him skeptically. Judging from the tone in her voice, she didn't believe him one bit.

"_Gracias_." Peter waved a thank you before we both made our way to the second floor. "So, you interested in science too huh?"

"Uh... yeah," I murmured.

"So what school do you go to?" I mentally slapped myself at that question. Why hadn't I thought of that before now?

"I'm home schooled," I quickly replied. Thankfully there was always options. And Peter seemed okay with that as we headed for the second floor.

"Welcome to Oscorp," said a computerized female voice. I always did wonder where that voice came from on the Grid. Whenever Tron was running a simulation, a female voice would tell whether or not it was loading. "Born from the mind of our founder, Norman Oscorp, the Oscorp Tower houses one hundred and eight floors of innovation. Our scientific minds are pushing the boundaries of defense, biomedical and chemical technologies. The future lies within."

I love how they tried making it sound like the most wonderful thing in the world. Truthfully I wasn't all that interested in science. But I was amazed by the technology that Users came up with here. Some of the tech that was available now could really be useful on the Grid.

A large group was already gathered outside. I noticed many of them were carrying notebooks or looking down at their phones every now and than. And leading the group was none other than Gwen Stacey.

"Welcome to Oscorp. My name is Gwen Stacey, I'm a senior at Midtown Science and I'm also head intern to Dr. Connors, so I'll be with you for your duration of your visit. Where I go, you go. That's the basic rule. If you remember that, everything will be fine. If you forget that than..."

It didn't take long for the shouting to follow. "I'm Rodrigo Guevara!" I had to hide back a laugh as he was dragged away by the guards. Peter suddenly looked nervous when he realized what would happen if he was caught.

"Well, I guess I don't need to tell you what happens if you forget that. Shall we?"

"Hide me!" Peter suddenly tried blending in with the crowd as we began moving. His attempt at hiding wasn't working very well.

"You're not supposed to be here, are you?" I asked in a whisper.

"Uh, not exactly... please don't tell!" He shot Gwen a wary look as she led us to what looked like the more scientific part of the building.

"I've got your back." I flashed him a reassuring look.

We were soon led to a room with equipment that reminded me of all the machinery and tech on the Hellicarrier. While this stuff was nowhere near as advanced, it was close enough. Most of the men and women inside the room were wearing the typical white lab coats I'd become familiar with. Spending a lot of time on the Hellicarrier has gotten me used to seeing all of the scientists on board.

Meanwhile Gwen was explaining what the company was doing for the modern world. Apparently they worked with cross-species-genetics, something a bit too elaborate for my likings. See, this is why someone like Tony or Bruce was better off on this mission. They would've actually been interested in it. A man with a white lab coat and a missing right arm suddenly approached us once Gwen was finished speaking.

"Welcome, my name is Dr. Curtis Connors. And yes, if you're wondering, I'm a southpaw." A few of the students laughed at the awkwardness. I just tilted my head to one side out of curiosity. Seemed like any other normal person I've met. "I'm not a cripple, I'm a former scientist and I'm the world's most renowned authority on herpetology. That's reptiles for those of you who don't know." I rolled my eyes when he looked at me, as if directing the statement towards me. "But like Parkinson's patient who watched on in horror as her body slowly betrays her, or the man with molecular degeneration who's eyes grow dimmer each day, I long to fix myself. I want to create a world without any weaknesses. Anyone care to venture a guess on how?"

I folded my arms at the 'weaknesses' part. This guy sounded a lot like Clu. Minus the perfection part. All in all, I didn't trust him one bit. I can see why Fury wants me to keep an eye on him.

"Yes?" One of the interns raised their hands, leading Connors to ask the question.

"Stem cells?" the intern guessed.

"Promising, but the solution I'm thinking of is a bit more radical."

All the interns started exchanging looks, trying to guess what the scientists were researching. I'm just hoping no one looks at me that way. 'Cause I really have no clue what this Connors guy is talking about.

"No one?" Connors frowned as no one provided an answer.

"Cross-species genetics." He was just about to leave when Peter whispered that.

Gwen did point out that most of this floor was designed to research cross-species genetics. So I wonder if they meant crossing the blood of a bird with a cat or something like that. I was beginning to wonder why this all sounded so familiar. Gwen looked down at her list, surprised to see Peter standing beside me, looking rather nervous now as everyone stared at him.

"A person gets Parkinson's when the brain cells that produce dopamine start to disappear. But the zebra fish has the ability to regenerate cells on command. If you can somehow give this ability to the woman you're talking about, that's that. She's... she's curing herself."

Now that sounded like Extremis. Way too much like Extremis for my liking. To recap, Extremis was basically what Aldrich Killian had used to heal any wounds, even repair missing body parts. But the only problem was Extremis wasn't stable. People were blowing up in the streets after taking the Extremis. I wonder if this was what Curtis Connors had in mind.

"Yeah, you just have to look past the gills on her neck." I glared at the person who said that. Peter was only trying to offer his help.

Connors looked down at Peter with a look of both surprise and pride. "And you are?" I noticed not for the first time that he kept shooting me glares. Huh. Wonder if anyone else noticed that too.

Peter looked more nervous than ever when he was put on the spotlight, but Gwen beat him to answering, "He's one of Midtown Science's best and brightest students."

I tried not to laugh when he blushed at that. I'm guessing that Gwen was his crush. She was there when those bullies were picking on him. And I couldn't blame him for liking her. She was smart and beautiful. Just than Dr. Connor's phone began to ring. He glanced over at us before stepping away to answer it.

"Hi, how are you doing, Rodrigo?" Gwen smiled as she approached us, not seeming aware that Peter was still trying to hide himself.

"Oh, uh... fine." Peter just grinned back as Gwen finally looked at me.

"You look familiar," she said in an almost accusing tone. "Have we met before?"

Trying to keep a straight face, I simply shrugged in response. "I don't think so."

"So what are you doing here? You don't seem all that interested in this," she tried to keep the conversation casual.

"I was pretty much forced to come," I explained warily, not wanting to say I was basically spying on Peter.

"Mira Rose Barton, right?" She looked at the list, and I restrained the urge to flinch. Peter raised an eyebrow at the name, as if he recognized it from somewhere. I really hoped he didn't. I just nodded as she looked back at Peter.

"I work here. I don't work here. I was gonna say..." He began stuttering, and Gwen just stood there patiently as she waited for an answer. "I was gonna say I work here, but it seems like in fact, you work here. So you know that I in fact don't work here."

I had to walk away as a laughing fit took over. While those two were busy chattering, I decided to get a better look at the place. I'm sure that Connors recognized me. That was why he kept glancing at me every now and than. But as I got a good look at the lab, I noticed that the scientists were busy typing away or looking at different files.

Gwen had stopped talking to Peter as he walked off, bumping into an employee in the process. She seemed a bit distracted as he followed the employee into another room. I wonder if I should've followed him, considering this was now my mission.

"Are you... his girlfriend?" I jumped a little when Gwen asked the question. Already I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Erm, no... where just acquaintances," I replied with a shrug. Yep. We weren't even friends, yet at least. I hoped that whole ordeal wouldn't take too long. Gwen just eyed me curiously, and not for the first time I was all too aware that she was probably looking at the scars etched on my face.

"So where did those come from?" Again I flinched at the question. Not exactly something I enjoyed talking about. I wasn't too fond of reliving memories of being captured by Rinzler, and being tortured in the games. "Sorry, I'm just curious. I've never seen scars like those before. But I have seen _you_ before."

"A lot of people say that," I muttered crossly. She might have seen me at the police station a few times. Or if worse came to worse, she the news broadcast about the Avengers.

"Come on, Mira Rose Barton?" I was about to answer when something held me back. Gwen just grinned slightly, as if she knew all along who I really was. "I've seen you a few times at the police station. Usually after someone gets arrested, right?" I just nodded in response. "So are you training to become a police officer or something? My dad could give you some tips."

Where was a distraction when I needed one? Gwen may seem nice now, but I knew that wouldn't last forever. Once she found out who I really was she'd back away as quickly as possible. Wait, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea.

"I'm sorry, I just get a little curious is all," she said after noticing how uncomfortable I was getting.

"It's fine... I'm not used to being around so many people," I admitted carefully.

"Where did Peter go?" Gwen suddenly realized that Peter was missing. I can't believe it took her this long.

Sure enough he rushed out of an 'employees' only door. Gwen just turned around to see him, face full of disappointment.

"I..." He was gasping for breath, as if he'd been running a marathon.

"Give me the badge. Give it to me." She held out her hand, eyes rolling as Peter finally looked up at her.

"Sorry." He took it off and handed it to her.

She than turned around to leave us.

"Where were you?" I followed him towards the escalators, all too aware that it was getting late out already.

"I'd... really rather not talk about it," he muttered.

So I let it drop. No point in pushing him if it was nothing serious. Besides, sometimes it was better to let nature take it's course. He had to have some good reason for going beyond the access point if it meant getting kicked out.

"Ouch!" Peter flinched as if something had hit him, or bitten him. Wariness washed over me as he touched his neck, finding nothing there.

"You okay?" I'm hoping that he's alright. Last thing I wanted to do was take another trip to the hospital. Believe me when I say I've spent enough time in the hospital.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He paused as he looked back at me. "Hey, I know that this is kind of sudden, but can I have your number? It would be nice to... hang out or something like that."

I couldn't help but grin as I pulled out my iPhone. "Sure." This was the perfect chance to get to know him better.

In a matter of seconds we exchanged numbers. While doing so I noticed that I had one missed call from Clint. Peter raised an eyebrow when he noticed that. Hiding my phone once more, I decided that I'd rather face the wrath of my overprotective father later.

We weren't sure where to go with this conversation next. It was still a long ways back to my apartment, and we were both headed in the same direction. So I guess the best thing to do was follow him until I reached my stop. Hopefully until than nothing bad would happen.

. . .

"_Sir, that girl was a SHIELD agent."_

_"The last thing we need is the government breathing down our necks."_

_"I highly doubt she knows what we're up to."_

_"So what are we gonna do about it?"_

_"Keep an eye on her. Make sure she doesn't cause us any trouble._"

* * *

**AN: So there's the next chapter :) Definitely not very exciting, but hey, first couple of chapters never are ;) So thanks to 2theSky, Briannajs-22 and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**Lyrics come from the song Torch by Everfound.**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Remind me again why I decided to take the subway? Oh, wait, now I remember. Fury wanted me to follow Peter around, make sure nothing serious happened to him. So now I was forced to take the one method of transportation I dreaded the most. Steve already showed me how the subway operated, but I still wasn't too familiar with it. Heck, I'd never really taken the trains back on the Grid. Most of the time I got around using my light cycle.

I was just thankful to have someone familiar sitting next to me. Or I should say snoring away. After waiting for the train we just talked about how our lives were going. Apparently he's a high school student and very intelligent. So that would explain why he sneaked into the internship program at Oscorp.

Sitting next to us were a couple of thugs with what I guessed were their girlfriends. They were busy chatting about beer and going out later that night. After spending some time with Tony, I've gotten used to that kind of conversation. Instead of putting up with it, I just started listening to my music to calm my nerves.

"**Grace, what have You done? Murdered for me on that cross, Accused in absence of wrong, My sin washed away in Your blood, Too much to make sense of it all, I know that Your love breaks my fall, The scandal of grace, You died in my place, So my soul will live**..."

Hillsong United. One of the best ways to keep me calm in situations like this. They were like a mix of New Age and Christian, making their music all the better.

"**Oh to be like You, Give all I have just to know You, Jesus, there's no one besides You, Forever the hope in my heart, Death, where is your sting?, Your power is as dead as my sin, The cross has taught me to live, And mercy, my heart now to sing**..."

My music was cut short when one of the thugs bumped into the bottle of beer he'd been balancing on Peter's head. Suddenly he woke up and jumped to the ceiling, hanging there in shock. While doing that he knocked over the beer bottle, and it spilled onto one of the girls' clothes.

"Uh, Peter..." Looking up, I noticed that he was still clinging on to the ceiling, looking rather startled as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Disgusting! Now I smell like beer!" one of the girls shrieked, making me wince.

Please, you smelled like beer long before getting on board.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that." Peter finally jumped down and put a hand on her shoulder, apologizing. "I... I..." I tried not to laugh as he struggled getting his hand off.

"Get your hand off her!" one of the thugs yelled and stepped closer to Peter. Backing away slowly, I had a feeling that a fight was about to break out. Should I interfere and stop them from hurting him? Surely there was nothing in the rules against that.

"I'm trying to get my hand off her..." Peter only tugged harder on the shirt, trying desperately to pry his hand off. The first thug had shoved him aside, and my eyes widened when I heard the sound of fabric ripping. Some of the men around us started laughing as the girl let out a gasp of surprise, face turning a bright red.

"Are you kidding me?" the other thug shouted. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

One of the thugs lunged forward towards Peter, who was still trying to figure out what had happened. His hand was clinging onto the bar, and once again he couldn't free himself. Peter swung himself around the bar and brought his leg up to kick one of the thugs over onto the seats. "I'm so sorry!" Peter sounded desperate as he apologized to the thugs ganging up on him.

Annoyed that no one else was trying to break up the fight, I suddenly grabbed one of the thugs by the wrist and twisted it behind his back. The thug let out a shout of pain just as Peter swung both of his legs this time and caught a second thug in the chest. A third thug was rushing at us, and I threw my fist into his face, not wasting any time in knocking him out. Peter knocked him aside so that he wouldn't land on me just as he started swaying back and forth.

One of the thugs got back up and looked at Peter, than his board, and back at Peter again.

"Oh man, not my board, please!" he begged as he guessed what the thug was thinking about. With a sigh of frustration, I swung my leg over and kicked the man square in the chest. While he was recovering from the attack, I grabbed the board and hid it from their view.

Behind us another man started to rush after Peter, who ended up straddling the pole to free himself. I was about to rush in and help when the pole broke free, swinging upwards to hit the man in the jaw. The momentum propelled itself into the first thug who attacked us right in the face.

"I'm so sorry!" Peter apologized again, trying to move and apologize once more, only to have the pole hitting them both in the face again. All the while trying to apologize. I couldn't help but laugh as the thugs started backing away once they realized they were overpowered.

"Seriously, I don't think you have to apologize anymore," I sighed once they were gone.

"Wait, you took on those thugs yourself," he said in an accusing tone. "Are you a superhero or something?"

Grimacing at the title, I looked down at the floor. No, I wasn't. But I probably had more training than he could ever handle.

"I've been trained to handle situations like these," I replied with a shrug. That much was true. No need to straight up and tell him I was a SHIELD agent.

"Ah man, I really am sorry. I almost put your life in danger too," he grumbled.

"Hey, it's fine." Patting him on the shoulder after prying off the pole from his hands, I grinned as I thought back to the way he'd fought. "Have you always been able to fight like that?" Judging by the confused look on his face, he hadn't.

"Uh, no. I don't even know where that came from," he admitted.

"Well, you do now." An awkward silence fell upon us as we reached my stop. "So, I guess I'll see you later?" Glancing at my phone, I realized that it was pretty late now.

"Y-yeah, I'll see you later." He still looked confused as I stepped off the train.

Flashing him another smile, I backed away, hoping that we would see each other again. With moves like that, he'd make a great SHIELD agent. I could see now why Director Fury was so keen to have someone watching him.

. . .

"_Sir, have you seen the recordings from the subway?"_

_"I have."_

_"He took out those thugs like they were nothing."_

_"With a little help."_

_"He has no martial arts training, how did he learn so quickly?"_

_"We've already got someone keeping an eye on him. If things get any worse, I'll send in more agents to take care of it."_

_"Understood Director Fury._"

. . .

"His name is Peter Parker. Doesn't seem like a bad kid, he just gets mixed up in bad situations."

Remembering the fight at the subway, I had to let out a sigh. He took care of those thugs as if they were nothing. From what I've gathered he had no experience fighting people before. So where did all of these skills come from?

"That explains why Fury wants to keep an eye on him," Clint muttered as he read through the files. Sitting beside him was Natasha, who looked more annoyed than interested.

I wasn't at all surprised to find them waiting for me in my apartment. By now I've gotten used to seeing them most of the time, especially during times like these. I've pretty much gathered that Clint's the overprotective father, and Natasha would rather spend time getting her missions finished.

But it was nice to see them again, as much as it annoyed me every time.

"So who exactly is Richard Parker?" I sat down at the table, glancing at the files Natasha had given me moments ago. Fury had done a little more research on him, but as far as I could tell, I knew next to nothing about him. Natasha pursed her lips before answering.

"He died in a plane crash along with his wife," she explained. "For a while he was working with Dr. Curtis Connors, and than he suddenly disappeared, leaving his son behind."

Well that would explain a lot. "How did Connors lose his arm?" The thought suddenly occurred to me that that was why Connors was so interested in his research. Most likely he was tired of living with one arm, and I really couldn't blame him. I just wasn't too okay with the idea of cross-species genetics. The whole thing just sounded too strange.

"Connors was interested in cross-species genetics, and his research got a little... out of control." I rolled my eyes when Clint changed his mind on what he was really going to say.

"Thanks again for the help," I muttered after realizing there was still much for me to learn.

"Anything big happening on the Grid?" Natasha's question caught me off guard.

Frowning, I tried desperately to think of an answer. Since yesterday I haven't spoken to Beck or Tron, or even stepped foot on the Grid. I was still pissed with them for lying to me.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," I replied with a shrug, hoping they would buy it. Even Clint raised an eyebrow at that. "Beck and I... may have had a fight yesterday." I held back a sigh of frustration as I looked down at the floor.

"Now that I'd like to see." Natasha punched Clint in the arm for saying that, to which I was very thankful for.

"I know they're hiding something, I just wish they'd tell me what's wrong," I sighed.

Leaning against the back of my chair, I had to wonder whether or not to pay them a visit again. Maybe I could convince Paige to tell me what was going on. She may be good friends with Beck, but not to the point of keeping secrets for him. Than I thought better of it. Knowing Paige she would keep a secret just for Tron's sake.

"I'm sure things will be sorted out later on," Natasha told me. "Sam and Quorra are watching over the Grid, if anything serious is happening, they'll let you know."

I bit the bottom of my lip as I thought over what she said. Would they tell me what was going on? Or would they be following orders just like everyone else? Something told me Sam wasn't the following orders type. But I've been surprised before.

"Thanks, again," I murmured. Once they were gone I pushed aside the files and flopped onto my sofa. Rinzler was curled up on the top; he opened one eye and stretched out as if annoyed by the sudden movement I caused. "Sorry bud."

He just went on sleeping as though nothing had happened. Once again I was left thinking how lucky he must be. He didn't have a thing to worry about. All Rinzler needed to do was sleep all day and play all night, while I was trying to sleep of course.

I wondered whether or not it was a good idea to go back to the Grid. After pretty much leaving Beck and Tron speechless, I wasn't too sure. I couldn't help but worry that something was going wrong. And I should be part of Tron's patrol to find out what that something was. No matter how far apart we seemed, we were always connected in some way.

Maybe sleep really was all I needed to take my mind off of things.

* * *

**AN: So yeah, that pretty much sums this chapter up :) Get to see the subway fight, which is probably my second favorite scene in the movie. And a big thanks to 2theSky, Panda Bear Lover 317 and Briannajs-22 for reviewing! You guys are awesome! :)**

**Lyrics come from the song Scandal of Grace by Hillsong United. Amazing group and music :)**


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

"Would you like to order anything?"

"Just a frozen latte please," Peter replied.

"I'll just have a glass of water," I murmured.

The two of us had decided to meet after yesterday's incident at the subway. Not that it surprised me Peter was worried. I mean, he had said that he never performed any of those tricks before. I'm guessing it was a huge shock for him when he slugged one of those thugs for attacking him.

The cafe itself was packed with people either on business breaks or just socializing. It wasn't the best place for us to chat about this, but I figured it was better than meeting at my apartment. I had a feeling that he wouldn't react too kindly to Rinzler. With all due respect I'm not sure I would appreciate having a stranger in my apartment either. Once the waitress returned with our orders, Peter got right down to business.

"So, that spider bite I got yesterday... I think it did something to me," he admitted in an almost guilty voice. "I mean, I'm not even sure if I should be telling anyone this."

I raised an eyebrow after taking a sip of my water. I was more surprised that he had called me than anything else. Wasn't there something about the not trusting strangers rule he should know about? Well, I suppose we weren't entirely strangers. We did meet several times, under different situations.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice dropping to a whisper.

"I mean, I think that spider gave me powers," he replied. "I've never been able to take down anyone bigger than me. Isn't that a bad thing?"

Hey, after what those thugs tried doing, I would've arrested them on the spot. But since we already kicked their sorry butts I had restrained myself from doing so. Plus it would only make me look even more suspicious if I showed them by SHIELD badge. It was something I always kept on me just in case.

"I don't know." Looking out the window, I thought it over. The spider had somehow given him abilities. And now we were both trying to figure out why. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it had come from Oscorp. I mean Connors did say that they were studying cross-species genetics. "Maybe the spider did give you powers," I muttered under my breath.

Peter looked at me strangely, and my eyes widened when I realized he had heard. "You remember what Connors said about cross-species genetics, right?" I nodded at his question, suddenly wishing I had never opened my mouth. "Maybe that spider was somehow genetically altered. And that's how I was able to..." He cut himself off.

"Look, I don't think this is something you should tell the world about," I told him warily. Especially with so many prying eyes around us. A few of the people inside had given me odd looks the moment I walked in.

"I guess you're right," he grumbled, taking a sip of his drink afterwords. "I'm just worried this is gonna backfire on me."

After what Dr. Connors had said about the cross-species genetics, I couldn't blame Peter for saying that. I'm sure he was wondering if he would grow eight arms and have multiple eyes now that the spider had bitten him. I just hope that things didn't turn out that way.

"Well, I have the rest of the afternoon off. Maybe I could show you a few moves," I suggested once my drink was finished.

"I'd like that," Peter replied with a smirk.

I really hope that SHIELD wasn't watching. Otherwise I was in for the lecture of a century. Again.

. . .

"_What do we know about the subway incident?"_

_"A spider bit him, sir. We believe that the spider was somehow genetically mutated, and he received it's powers."_

_"And this is all from Oscorp, right?"_

_"Yes, sir."_

_"Oscorp most likely knows what we're up to than."_

_"What do we do now?"_

_"Keep an eye on that Parker boy. If anything happens, you know what to do."_

_"Yes sir!_"

. . .

Peter ducked just in time to avoid my incoming fist. His reflexes were good, I'll give him that. He'd managed to dodge most of my attacks, almost as if he had already seen them coming. So I took the tactical approach. I went for a less obvious attack and kicked him in the thigh, making him reel over in surprise.

"Man, where'd you learn how to fight like this?" This was his second attempt at attacking me. While he wasn't nearly as well trained as Beck, he did show courage and stamina. And he was willing to learn and try something new.

"I was taught how to defend myself," I explained.

It wasn't necessarily a lie. I had to learn how to defend myself when I was on the Grid. Otherwise I would've been long dead. Luckily Peter just grinned as I helped him up from the mat. This sparring session was just what I needed to get my mind off of things. And it helped that Peter seemed genuinely interested in what he was learning.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side than." Peter glanced out the window to make sure no one was watching.

They gym remained relatively empty, much to my relief. Usually Steve was here in the afternoon, but I haven't even seen him lately. He was my sparring partner most of the time. Occasionally Natasha would ask to spar, but that was about it.

It was actually nice to have some company other than the people I've become so familiar with. Once we were finished Peter sat down beside me and grabbed a book from the bag he took with him. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when I noticed what he was reading.

"I take it you're not a fan of his works?" Peter caught my expression and grinned sheepishly. A book by Dr. Connors. Somehow that didn't surprise me, though the subject made me slightly wary.

"I'm just not so sure cross-species genetics is a good idea," I admitted. "I mean, aren't you worried that you might turn into a spider?"

Mentally I smacked myself for that comment. But Peter just laughed and shook his head.

"If anything were to happen to me, I think it would've by now," he replied.

"Hm, I suppose you're right," I grumbled.

I took my phone out to see how late it was. It was getting close to dinner time. And surprisingly Peter hadn't taken the opportunity to run off. I sure hope he wouldn't get in trouble for being out this late. Something told me that his aunt and uncle wouldn't be too pleased.

"So, do you wanna meet up again sometime later?" I was even more surprised when Peter asked that question.

"Sure, I'd like that," I replied with a grin.

It would be nice to hang out again, especially if it was just for fun. So far I think I've gathered enough intel for Director Fury. Though if he was anything like Tron, he would be next to impossible to please. Once he was gone, I grabbed my stuff and headed back to my apartment.

The streets busy as usual, but the sidewalks were surprisingly not nearly as crowded. I suppose that by now most people would've already gone home or headed out if they needed to. So I was left holding on to my bag, suddenly wishing that I still had my light sword.

A light sword was a weapon designed for use on the Grid, but I had taken it with me when I stayed in the User world. Sadly though it had been destroyed by that Extremis soldier a few weeks ago. Tony had offered a replacement for it, but I reluctantly declined. That light sword had been a gift from Castor, one of the few programs to take me in when I needed the help.

Natasha would have just told me that I was being paranoid, constantly looking over my shoulder. But with everything going on lately, there was no such thing as being too cautious. After one of the Mandarin's soldiers had managed to take me down, I wasn't taking any chances.

And it was a good thing I had been paying attention. Because the moment I looked over my shoulder I knew that someone_ was_ following me. So I took a counter measure to walk faster, hoping to reach my apartment before they caught up with me.

"You lost squirt?" So much for getting away on time.

Turning around I noticed that the man standing in front of me was tall and muscular. Wearing a strange purple suit with a half-bald head and narrowed eyes. I've seen him before on SHIELD's most wanted files. If only I had them memorized. Right now I could really use that info.

"No," I replied as calmly as I could. The stranger simply smirked and took another careful step towards me. "I was just headed for my home."

"Nah, I think you're lost." Sometimes I really wish I had taken Natasha's offer on handling a gun. While I was against using such a weapon, having one as means of scaring people off would come in handy. Though something told me this guy wouldn't be so intimidated by that.

"So, who sent you?" I demanded, noticing the weapons he was carrying. Strapped to his waist was a knife, and I'm guessing he was hiding a few other tricks under his sleeves.

"That's for me to know," he sneered. Before I had a chance to respond, he leaped gracefully into the air and kicked me in the arm, tossing me aside like I was nothing.

Once I had recovered I grabbed him by the boot and tripped him, not giving him another opportunity to kick me. He leaped back again to give us some distance. The way he moved with his legs made me suddenly realize who this was. Batrok the Leaper. Whoever sent him must have known I wasn't returning home anytime soon.

I blocked a few of his blows before catching his fist as he attempted to knock me out. This guy was nothing compared to some of the soldiers I've fought on the Grid. But he wasn't a pushover either. I just had to bide my time until SHIELD arrived with backup. Meanwhile Batrok was giving it his all as he pushed me into the railing that led to a set of stairs. That smirk of his... I really wish I could just swipe it off. Without making things worse than they already were.

"Heh, they don't usually last this long," he hissed as I flipped back and kicked him in the chest. Batrok was faster. He tripped me just as I spun around to face him. I rolled to the side as he tried kicking my face with his boot after landing on the cement.

Leaping back to my feet just as he tried throwing his knife at me, I threw a fist into his nose and heard a sickening crack. He may have more weapons, but I wasn't about to let him take advantage of that. I moved swiftly to the side just in time to avoid getting kicked in the ribs, only to feel the sting of something sharp running across my arm. The same arm that Cyrus's disk had cut through. Grinding my teeth together, I dropped to the ground and swung my leg over to knock him off of his feet. He easily dodged and grabbed another knife, this time only narrowly missing me when he threw it.

"They weren't kidding when they said you're just like 'em," Batrok said as he threw in another punch, which I blocked easily. I didn't need to know who he was talking about. I'm guessing Natasha and Clint have fought him before, and won with ease. "I would've brought more weapons with me if I'd known you would put up this much of a fight."

If this kept up I'd be exhausted by the time he was finished with me. I needed to end this before things got worse. Batrok seemed to be thinking the same thing as he grabbed me by the leg. I let out a yelp of pain as he twisted it, letting me crash to the ground as I tried jumping to avoid him.

"Sorry, but I have to go before mommy and daddy come to the rescue," he sighed. "I hope we meet again!"

My leg was broken. That was the only thought I could think of as he vanished into the night. And there was no one around to notice. Sometimes I really wish I had stayed on the Grid. At least on the Grid I knew what an assassin looked like. And I could use my disk to defend myself.

As carefully as I could I stood up and held on to the railing, ignoring the pain that seared through me. I needed to get back to my apartment before anyone else was sent after me. Right now I was a sitting target for any onlookers. And I'd never hear the end of it if SHIELD found out what had happened.

_God, don't let me pass out_, I begged silently as I limped forward. If anyone was watching they hadn't noticed what had happened. It was probably a good thing nobody had noticed. Because not only did I have a broken leg, but the cut on my arm was still bleeding. Anyone sane enough would've stayed on the spot and waited for help.

Rinzler was already waiting for me at the door when I finally got back. By now exhaustion had crept over me as well. At this point I pondered over whether or not I should just fall over and sleep on the floor. Right now it looked like the most comfortable spot I could find.

"Hey bud, not now," I muttered as he nuzzled me cautiously. I've never seen him look more worried than now. I had read somewhere that animals had a tendency to know whether or not a human was in pain. Even though Rinzler was technically created by a strand of codes, he was more animal-like than program. Taking a deep breath, I struggled to get to the most comfortable seat I could find. "I'll be fine," I promised as he nuzzled my hand.

I sure hoped that I was right. Last thing I wanted to do was end up dying from a stupid broken leg and a cut on my arm.

* * *

**AN: Sorry if I got Batrok's description wrong. He's actually going to be in the Winter Soldier movie, so thought I'd introduce him early and move things on. And Mira got to spend some 'quality' time with Peter ;) Big thanks to Panda Bear Lover 317, Sunofaia, Briannajs-22 and 2theSky for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D**


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

You know something had happened when you wake up in the medical bay at SHIELD's HQ. The first thing I did after waking up is find someone watching me as carefully as possible. And that someone happened to be Director Fury. His arms were folded as I struggled to sit up, trying to figure out what exactly was going on. I remembered being at the cafe, talking with Peter and teaching him a few fighting styles. After that everything was a blur.

"We found you passed out on the couch in your apartment," Fury explained when he noticed my confusion. "Had a broken leg and several wounds on your arm." For a moment I wondered what he meant by that. Than suddenly I remembered what had happened that evening.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I looked down to see that my leg was wrapped up in bandages. But I was surprised to see that my arm had no fresh scars or bandages wrapped around it. I glanced at Director Fury in another moment of confusion, and he just shrugged.

"Banner said that the Tesseract was reacting to your injuries," he told me. "You're lucky we found you when we did."

The Tesseract had saved me. But how? Questions started forming, but I wasn't able to ask them as Fury looked more concerned than before. One thing I've learned was that if he was concerned, than I should be even more worried than before.

"Do you have any idea who would've done this?" I flinched when I heard an all too familiar voice. Clint was leaning against the wall, looking more than just worried. He looked angry. Which is something I've pretty much gotten used to over the past few weeks.

"Batrok the Leaper," I replied. "I'm guessing that Oscorp sent him, or someone working for Oscorp sent him." I shrugged at the name, realizing that it probably was Oscorp.

They probably had known I was working for SHIELD, and didn't want the government snooping around their research. Though I had to wonder why they were so careful about it. Clearly there was more to their research than I had originally thought. Clint looked like he was ready to say something when Fury cut him off.

"In any case, after this incident I want someone to keep an eye on you," said Fury. "If they send anyone else after you, at least you won't be alone. Especially if that someone has more experience dealing with master assassins."

My eyes widened when I realized what he meant by that. Than in a matter of seconds they rolled in annoyance. So Clint was here for more than making sure I made a full recovery. The last thing I needed was a babysitter, especially one like him. Fury probably had someone else in mind, but I doubt that he would've argued with one of his top agents.

"So does this mean my mission is over?" I wonder how long I was out since Batrok had attacked me.

Another more pressing thought made me worry. What had happened to Peter while I was out? And was he worried that something had happened to me? Director Fury exchanged a look with Clint, who just shrugged in response.

"Our agents have been keeping a close eye on his development. Two days ago his uncle was shot and killed." I felt my heart nearly skip a beat when he said that. Why hadn't SHIELD been around to stop whoever had shot his uncle? Why did Batrok have to attack me when he did? "Now don't go blaming yourself for this, even if we had arrived it would've been too late," he added as if he had read my thoughts.

_Peter_,_ I'm so sorry_. I wish there was more I could do. We may not have known each other that well, but that same sense of kinship had developed between us. It was kind of like what had happened at the Grid. Hopefully I could talk to him once I got back on my feet. A friend might be just what he needed now.

. . .

"_You got a description?"_

_"Well, no. He wears a mask."_

_"A mask?"_

_"Yeah, and most of his victims are suspects, some of them with serious rap sheets. They're calling him a vigilante."_

_"Okay, he's not a vigilante. He's an anarchist._"

. . .

Once I was back on my feet, Fury chewed me out with wonderful words of wisdom. Something along the lines of, "Always keep a watch for enemies", or "Next time don't get hurt." Other than that I was pretty much done with HQ. And I've never been more ready to leave this place. Only problem was I now had a bodyguard keeping watch over me. You can imagine how annoyed I was when we got back to my apartment.

"We are not sharing beds," I pointed out as soon we stepped inside. Clint just smirked at me as Rinzler jumped onto my shoulders. I hope someone was keeping an eye on him while I was gone. Speaking of which, I still hadn't figured out how long I was out.

"No duh," he muttered before collapsing on the sofa. I tried not to look annoyed as he started flicking through the channels on the TV.

"I feel safer already," I said sarcastically. He just smirked at my remark before stopping at the Big Bang Theory. I'm surprised he's even interested in that show. Though I will admit it is good comedy, it gets old after a while. So instead of arguing with him I sat beside him and pulled out my phone to check for any messages. I got a few 'get well soon' messages from fellow agents, and even one from Skye. I haven't seen her in a while, and I'm surprised she even remembered me. What surprised me even more were the amount of messages I got from Peter.

_Hey, you there? I think we need to talk-Peter_.

_I'm not even sure what to say here, I just need someone to talk to_.

_Do you think you can help me_?

I tried not to glare at Clint as he just laughed at the messages. One thing I've learned in a short time is that he has somewhat of a sense of humor. Though in this case it was probably a bit much. Narrowing my eyes before I punched him in the arm, I sent Peter a text, hoping he would be quick to respond.

_Hey, is everything alright_?

I was surprised he sent me a text so quickly.

_Yeah_.

_Sorry for the late reply_.

I wasn't sure what else to add. Anything else might give away hints as to what had happened to me. And I wasn't ready to explain any of that.

_Hey, you doing anything right now_?

Glancing at Clint, who looked like he was trying to catch his breath, I held back a sigh.

_Nope_.

_Can you meet me at this address_?

A moment passed before he sent me the coordinates. Something tells me this wasn't going to be a friendly visit. I glanced over at Clint to see if he was still watching.

"You might wanna grab your bow," I suggested.

. . .

"So, any idea what we're looking for?" Hawkeye was sitting beside me, fumbling with his mechanized quiver while the cab drove us to our destination. Judging from the driver's expression, he wasn't sure whether to be excited to have an Avenger in his car, or worried. Frankly I would go with worried.

"We'll know when we see it," I replied. At least that was what Peter had told me.

The cab slowly inched it's way closer to the bridge. I was reminded of our time spent in a traffic jam a few weeks ago. We were on our way to a press conference and of course the bus had gotten stuck in traffic. Steve had been forced to hold down Tony as he tried to make a break for it, and Natasha, Clint and I just played a game of cards. Not a bad way to pass the time when you were bored.

"Does it have anything to do with that?"

I looked over to see what he was pointing at. Nearby another cab was parked. My eyes widened when I noticed that the back had been completely torn off. What could have done that? Actually, I don't think I wanted to know.

"Yes, yes it does," I sighed. I unbuckled my seat belt and wasted no time in getting out. By now the traffic had come to a full stop, and the cab driver was muttering curses under his breath. "I think we'd better go on foot," I added before Hawkeye could protest.

Jogging past the traffic stuck on the bridge, I made my way past the cars to reach our destination. The people I passed gave me odd looks, as if they were trying to figure out why someone was running straight into the traffic. I'm guessing whatever it was Peter was chasing hadn't reached the bridge yet. So I wonder why he was leading this threat here in the first place. Maybe he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. It didn't take Hawkeye long to reach me, holding onto his bow and ready for the fight.

This would be one of those great times for the Tesseract to start working. I may not know that much about it, but it had saved my life. And more than once it had helped defend me against those Extremis soldiers. I just hoped that using it this way wasn't going to effect my body in any way.

I jumped onto the nearest car to get a better view of my surroundings. If what Peter had described to me was true, than we should be looking for something big. "Please tell me that's not the threat." As if on cue, the sound of people screaming began. And that was when we saw what we were looking for.

"Found it." And Peter's description was pretty spot on. A giant lizard stood ahead, scaly skin and all. Now I know why I hate reptiles so much.

"What happened to fighting normal villains?" Hawkeye groaned as the Lizard let out a roar and turned to face us. As it started charging he pulled out an arrow and fired it. The arrow landed on the Lizard's shoulder, sending jolts of electricity through it shortly after. The Lizard just pulled it out like it was nothing and started charging once more. It grabbed the nearest car and threw it right at us. "Seriously, just once I'd like a normal villain."

We both jumped out of the way, just out of the time. The car hurtled over the ledge, giving the Lizard enough time to vanish while we were still recovering. This was why having some kind of shield would come in handy. Now I knew why Captain America always carried his around.

"This is way too dangerous for you," Hawkeye grumbled as he landed beside me. I just rolled my eyes as we avoided another car being thrown at us. The Lizard was making some kind of point to keep us away. And something told me that this had something to with Dr. Connors' work. After all he was a reptile enthusiast and into cross-species genetics.

"I've been through worse," I reminded him. Even though I put those memories under lock and key, occasionally they did still give me nightmares. Hopefully tonight they wouldn't come rushing back. "We need to find the Lizard," I added as another car alarm went off.

And sure enough the Lizard was lifting another car. Exchanging a wary look with Hawkeye, we both made a run for it towards him just to avoid getting smashed. But the car had already been thrown over the edge. Hawkeye was about to shoot another arrow when something swung past us. Almost at once he had aimed the arrow at the figure, but stopped when he recognized it. Several more cars were thrown towards the same direction, but they were stopped before they could land.

"Why do I get the feeling this has something to do with Oscorp?" Hawkeye asked as we ran on, trying to keep sight of the Lizard.

"Lizard now, talk later!" I snapped as another car was thrown our way. The figure had caught the car just before it landed.

"Somebody help! My kid is trapped!" shouted a man who had spotted us. My mind was churning with anxiety - should we help the kid or stop the Lizard?

"You stop the Lizard, I'll get the kid." Hawkeye looked like he was ready to argue when the Lizard suddenly getting ready to run. With a sigh of frustration he charged after it, giving me the chance to do something even riskier. And I'm sure he'll give me a lecture once this is over.

I jumped over the side of the bridge, remembering to relax my muscles as I landed on the car. It was hanging on just by a thread, and any wrong move could send us both hurtling into the river. I was careful not to make the car sway anymore than it already was.

"Calm down," I said as gently as possible. The kid was panicking, and understandably so. He finally realized that he was no longer alone and looked up at me with large, fearful eyes. I suddenly wondered if this was what I looked like when Quorra had rescued me. "I'm here to help you."

Climbing in, I sat next to him and flashed a reassuring smile. If Hawkeye saw me now he'd strangle me.

"So, what's your name?" I asked just as the figure from earlier swung towards us. The car had lurched forward, and they caught it with what looked like silvery webbing. Something told me that the figure was Peter, so I remained as calm as I could. Glancing at the seat beside the kid, I spotted a bag with his name sewed onto it. "Okay Jack, you'll need to stay calm while I get you out of here."

I leaned across to unbuckle his seat belt, careful not to make the car lurch anymore than it already was. As I did so one of the strands keeping the car from falling had snapped, and the car began to plummet. The kid started screaming again just as Peter caught it with more webbing.

"You might wanna hurry up." I imagine that was said through clenched teeth. The kid started panicking again when he noticed Peter's arrival. It took me a few seconds to realize why. Peter was wearing a mask and a red and blue suit, with a spider insignia on his stomach.

Not a bad look if you ask me, even if he does look like he's wearing pajamas.

"It's okay, he's a friend of ours," I reassured the kid. "Now hold on."

I pulled the kid up close to make sure the car didn't fall again. He wrapped his arms around my neck, the panic evident as he struggled to hold on.

"Really fast please!" he shouted as the headlights caught on fire and started to spread. "This isn't easy."

"Tell me about it." I held Jack close to make sure he didn't fall. Peter was still hanging on, reaching out with one hand as we got closer. Just as Peter had grabbed the kid, the car began to fall, with me still clinging onto the strands. It took every ounce of courage not to scream in terror.

"Hang on!" Peter had handed Jack over to his grateful father before returning to the side of the bridge. My eyes widened when the strand began to snap. He grabbed me just in time as the strand broke in half. Moments later and I would met the same fate as the car. "You okay?"

Really? That was all he could ask?

"I think I'll live," I muttered.

"Uh, he's not here to arrest me, is he?" Peter glanced fearfully at Hawkeye, who was glaring at us both as he joined us. I winced when I noticed the deep scratch on his forehead. I'm guessing that was a gift left by the Lizard.

"No, more like put me under house arrest," I grumbled under my breath. Peter kept looking between me and Hawkeye, as if trying to put two and two together. I was never going to hear the end of this.

"Look, we need to talk, but obviously not now," Peter told me, still cautious under Hawkeye's piercing gaze.

"We will, just not... now." I folded my arms, still wishing that the Grid would suddenly digitize me or something. Wouldn't it be nice if I could just suddenly disappear like that? And reappear once all the trouble was over.

Peter just nodded and decided now was the best time to get away before things got worse.

* * *

**AN: Hoozah for a fast update! Yeah, I actually have most of the story typed up already XD I'm that excited. And we meet the Lizard for the first time, a few fights here and there. Just the usual stuff. Have to say the bridge scene is probably my second favorite in the movie :) Big thanks to Sunofaia, 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"Well that was fun. Ready to punch Galactis in the face?" Both Clint and I groaned as we made our way back to my apartment. Once the police had arrived we took the chance to get away. And since we had no method of transportation we were pretty much forced to walk. It was one of those moments that made me really wish my light cycle worked here in the User world. Modified or not it couldn't work unless it was on the Grid.

The whole Galactis thing was an inside joke between us. Not that anyone would care one way or another. But it was still fun to say after a rough battle like that.

"By the way, you're grounded." Even if he was exhausted Clint still sounded serious. I wasn't the least bit surprised with the order. After what I had done I couldn't blame him. Probably nearly gave him a heart attack when he saw the car falling.

For the first time since that battle I had just thought of something different. Rescuing that kid... not only was it out of sheer stupidity, but it was brave. I didn't hesitate to rescue him from the falling car. And I was left wondering why. Maybe because of the training I had received over the years.

_Tron would've done the same thing_, I realized.

"So that guy in the costume, that was the Parker boy, right?" Clint's question caught my off guard. Wasn't there something about secret identities that should be kept? I mean, the Renegade had kept his identity a secret until Clu exposed him to Argon City.

"Yeah." I didn't dare say anything else. With all honesty I wasn't sure what else to say. Peter had his own secret. And it was probably best to keep it that way.

We walked on in silence, and for once I was thankful for it. After everything I've been through, I'm ready to crash on my bed. I'm really hoping I can at least get somewhat of a decent night sleep. Though with the threat of the Lizard out there, I doubt that would happen.

Once inside nothing was else was said. I just handed Clint a spare sheet and pillows, than jumped right onto the bed. I couldn't help but think over everything that had happened. I was sure by now that Peter had figured out what was going on between us. To top things off a giant lizard was roaming the streets of the city. Something told me that this fight was going to get much worse.

. . .

"_At approximately nine pm last night, an incident took place on the Williamsburg Bridge. Much of what occurred is merely speculation at this point; however several eye witnesses to the crime as well as our own preliminary findings have positively placed one individual at the scene. Which is why this morning, I am issuing an arrest warrant for the masked vigilante known as Spiderman._.."

Clint was already wide awake and sitting at the table before I woke up. Like I had predicted I didn't get much sleep that night. And most of that was due to the nightmares that had kept occurring. Last time I had nightmares like those, Tron was the one who had woken me up.

I had no doubt that Clint had already told Fury about the Lizard and Spiderman. I just hoped that Fury didn't interfere. Last thing we needed was SHIELD risking more lives over this. Besides, as far as I was concerned, we could handle this on our own.

"Well that would explain why Fury had you following the kid," Clint muttered after taking a mouthful of cereal. By now we were both eating breakfast, sitting across from one another. The news was still blaring in the background, but for the most part I ignored it.

"Like I said, he's not a bad kid. He just gets into bad situations," I replied with a shrug.

Actually Peter reminded me a lot of Beck. The Renegade had been considered a 'vigilante' back when Clu was in power. And now Spiderman was being called a vigilante for taking care of the jobs that police officers couldn't.

Rinzler had finally woken up from his morning nap. I had to smother my laughter when he gave the arrows strapped around Clint's chair a curious sniff. The term 'curiosity killed the cat' was constantly running through my mind when I thought of him. Clint just tried shooing him away, which resulted in getting his hand swiped with a paw.

"Do you have to keep them out in the open?" Seriously, weren't they highly explosive? Plus anyone just walking in might be scared out of their wits if they noticed. Again Rinzler started batting at the arrows, acting like they were some kind of toy. I tried not to giggle as Clint tried shooing him away again.

Most of the day wore on with little incidents. Rinzler had finally curled up on the corner of the sofa, after a few more minutes of 'playing'. It was hard not to laugh when I saw how annoyed Clint looked. It's a good thing I was around, because he might have just shot poor Rinzler with the arrow.

So for the rest of the afternoon we sat around watching movies. I doubted he was interested in the Disney movies Tony had pretty much forced me to watch, so we decided to go for something a little more exciting. Star Trek and it's respected sequel were probably some of my favorite movies, and for a good reason. Considering I was stuck on the Grid the technology they show is really believable, and possible.

About halfway through the second movie I received a text message. Considering the fact that I was supposed to be 'grounded' according to my wonderful babysitter, I should have ignored the message. But instead I took a quick look and saw who it was from.

_I could use some help_.

I looked at the message in alarm. Seconds later I sent him my address, letting him know to come right away if possible.

"Hey, we're about to have some company," I warned Clint when he caught sight of my phone.

"And what happened to 'you're grounded'?"

Ignoring the question, I grabbed the first aid kit just in case. Something told me that Peter would need it. I shoved past him and opened the door after hearing the first knock. My eyes widened when I saw who was standing in front of it.

Peter looked as though he had a swim through the sewer, and smelled like it too. His suit was covered in a layer of grime, and I tried not to cover my nose at the stench. Deep gashes could be seen across his ribs. What really made me grimace was that he had managed to live through that.

"You went after the Lizard, didn't you?" I asked after letting him in. He just nodded meekly and set himself as comfortably as he could on the kitchen chair. "Take your shirt off." I dared Clint to say anything, but he looked more annoyed than anything else.

He just grabbed the first aid kit as Peter eyed him warily. Taking a deep breath, I noticed just how severe his wounds were. If Peter had delayed his arrival things might have gone worse for him. And at once I was reminded of the injuries I had received from Batrok the Leaper. If the Tesseract had healed them, why couldn't it heal the wounds of others?

"So uh, I never did thank you for last night," he grimaced his wounds were cleaned off. I held back a sigh once the bandages covered them. Guess there was a lot of explaining we both needed to do. And with Clint watching us like a hawk, I doubted that was going to happen any time soon.

"You shouldn't have made such a risky move," Clint snapped after putting away the first aid kit. This time I did roll my eyes when he glared at me. Peter just smirked when he noticed that the words were directed more to me than him.

"It's not like I would've done this before," I muttered crossly. Although Tron would've reacted the same way. In fact more than once I had been put under lock-down for making such a risky move. I couldn't help but grin at those memories. Before I had returned to the User world he was more of a father than anyone else. And he was just as overprotective as Clint, if not more.

"I take it you two are more than just friends," Peter said in an accusing tone. He straightened up, still flinching in what I guessed was pain.

"Hardly." I paused and thought over how much I must have missed while I was unconscious. It was probably a good thing Peter wasn't around to hear what had happened. "He's more like an overprotective father."

And cue the shock written all over Peter's face. I have to say, that would've made a great photo shot. Now he was probably suddenly understanding why I had looked so familiar. It's probably a good thing he was sitting down.

"So... I'm so confused!" he groaned. Well, I suppose that was better than outright accusing me of being a SHIELD agent. Though seeing Clint dressed in normal clothes probably was a bigger shock to Peter after what had happened last night. For me it was normal. "Last night at the bridge, you said that you'll likely be put under house arrest," he rambled on, still trying to piece together the puzzle.

"Yeah, get used to it," Clint said with the slightest of chagrins. To which I smacked him in the arm. Peter just stared at us both with wide eyes.

"You're a SHIELD agent," he suddenly announced.

"Now you're getting somewhere." Seriously, at this point I was ready to throw Clint out the window. It was a tempting thought, but he'd never let me hear the end of it.

"Peter, I'm sorry," I sighed after grabbing my badge. Fury had given it to me shortly after the whole incident with Coulson's team. Peter just gaped at me before trying to clear his thoughts. "I was given orders to keep an eye on you... for obvious reasons," I explained warily.

It took Peter a few moments to say anything. Right now, if I could, I would take back everything that had happened. Confusion and hurt were written all across his face. Followed by a look that he had been betrayed.

"So you were just following orders?" he demanded.

I couldn't help but flinch. Yes, I had. There was still so much I wanted to tell him. That despite the orders given to me, our friendship was real. Even if we had only known each other for a short amount of time.

"Yes." I bit the bottom of my lip as he stood up.

"If I had known I wouldn't have..." Peter cut himself off as Clint shot him a cold look. He was at a loss for words, just like me.

"Wouldn't have what? Gone after the Lizard?" Clint folded his arms after asking the questions.

"I should probably go," Peter muttered in a tone that said this was far from over. I just looked down at the floor, knowing full well that he was right. Sooner or later we would both need to talk.

Once he was gone Rinzler peered out of the room. He had disappeared into my room the moment Peter arrived. Truthfully that stench of sewage water made me wish I had done the same. Maybe we wouldn't have just had that little argument than.

"That went well," Clint muttered with a shake of his head.

"Save it," I snapped. "Why couldn't I have told him sooner?"

"He wouldn't have trusted you, believe me." I rolled my eyes at Clint's remark, but I knew that he was right. Peter would've never trusted me if I told him from the start who my parents were. Or that I was working for SHIELD.

"So what happens now? Not like he's gonna trust me now," I sighed in defeat. It was bad enough I had stopped visiting the Grid. Of course I could never tell Peter about that. Not unless he was willing to forgive and forget.

"I'd give him some space," he replied. "Once he's calmed down he might understand."

I sure hope that he was right. Peter had been a good friend. And I didn't want him to feel like I had betrayed him to SHIELD.

* * *

**AN: Yep, that all just happened :P Thanks to Briannajs-22, 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing, you guys are awesome! (By the way, highly recommend you listen to the song Hallelujah by Everfound, amazing song), and I'm out for the rest of the day XD**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

"_Sir, Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark managed to create an antidote."_

_"Any reports on that Parker boy?"_

_"The tracking device picked up a signal deep in the sewers a few hours ago. He stopped by at one of our agent's locations, apparently badly injured from a fight. He left his camera behind after trying to take on the Lizard."_

_"Send an agent to retrieve that camera and find out any information on the Lizard."_

_"Understood, sir!_"

. . .

It was early morning when I woke up. By now Clint and I had set up a routine. He sat at the table watching the news, while I fumbled around and tried to understand what to say the next time I saw Peter. I didn't want our last encounter to be remembered badly.

After our argument a couple of nights ago I was still feeling pretty crappy. It didn't help that I hadn't stopped by the Grid in the past couple of weeks. Lately I had been avoiding it. I just wasn't sure how to patch things up with Beck or Tron.

So I was more than surprised when Clint received a call from who I guessed was Director Fury. And judging from the noise coming from the phone, he wasn't happy.

"Better suit up, we have a problem," Clint muttered after tossing the phone onto the sofa.

Oh great. I had a feeling that this had something to do with the Lizard. Holding back a sigh of frustration, I grabbed the suit that Tony had designed a few months ago. It was designed to look like a program's suit, and even had a disk that worked like an identity disk. Upon use it came back to whoever was wearing the suit. Once I was fully dressed I got outside, to see that Clint was already waiting for me.

"So where exactly is this situation?" I demanded as we began running towards our destination. Clint may be fast, but I could easily keep up. I spent half of my life running back when I was on the Grid. Then came the SHIELD training that followed.

"Midtown Science High," Clint told me.

We started running towards the school, ignoring the crowd of people wandering to and from their jobs. A few people we bumped into shot us cold looks, but we didn't bother stopping to apologize. You would think by now that the sight of an Avenger was enough to send people running. Luckily they had learned in a short time to avoid us. I'm hoping it doesn't take us too long to reach the high school, especially with the Lizard on it's way, if it wasn't there already.

It didn't take us long to reach our destination. And I wasn't the least bit surprised to see Natasha standing in front of the school, waiting for us. I'm guessing that means the Lizard hadn't arrived yet, giving us some time to catch us breath.

"Anything happen yet?" I asked. Natasha just shook her head as she approached us, looking more than annoyed.

"No, but the scanners picked up something large making it's way towards this sector of the city. They're moving at inhuman speed." I knew full well that if we didn't act fast more innocent lives would be lost. "We've got two minutes to clear the area," she added.

"Well this day just gets better and better," Clint groaned. "Anyone else joining us?" Students walking outside gave us odd looks as we made our way inside. I'm guessing none of them had expected to see a couple of SHIELD agents joining them.

"Negative, Fury doesn't want anyone else getting involved," Natasha replied.

So we make this quick and easy. At least I was hoping that would be the plan. The looks we received after asking to have the area cleared were priceless. I'm pretty sure that people have already started asking why Hawkeye and Black Widow were at their school.

I wasn't going to lie when I said that I was nervous. After the last fight with the Lizard, I just wasn't sure how well this would end. Luckily it didn't take us long to spot Peter. And I wasn't surprised to see him with Gwen. Hawkeye and Widow fell in behind me as I approached them. Hopefully Peter wasn't still too pissed with me. It was Gwen who finally noticed that they weren't alone.

"Mira?" She sounded alarmed when she noticed that I wasn't alone. Peter turned to face me. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Uh... h-hi," he stammered. "I'm not under arrest, am I?" He glanced warily at Widow and Hawkeye. Both remained silent, much to my relief. I'm sure Hawkeye's already told Widow about our little fight.

Before I could reply, a loud scream echoed from outside, followed by a roar as the Lizard burst through the walls at the end of the hallway. The remaining students began to run as the panic took over. Frankly I couldn't blame them for being terrified. Anyone would be if a giant lizard was stalking them. And now we were his prey.

"That's why we're here," Hawkeye pointed out.

Gwen stared at the Lizard in alarm. Peter turned to face her, eyes dark with worry. "I'm gonna throw you out the window," he suddenly told her. She just stared at him like he was insane. Even I had to wonder where he was getting at with this. While Hawkeye and Widow had the Lizard distracted, Peter used this as a chance to throw Gwen out of the window, but not before throwing a web down for her to cling on to.

The Lizard tossed aside Natasha as she shot at him, than went straight for Peter and me. Grabbing my disk and activating it, I tossed it at the Lizard, hoping to knock him off of his claws. The Lizard let out a roar of fury when it left a fresh cut across his skin. I flipped back just in time to avoid getting swept off my feet by the Lizard's tail, catching my disk in the process.

Peter aimed his webbing at the Lizard's feet to slow it down, just as Hawkeye aimed an arrow at it's shoulder. The Lizard just shook off the explosive arrow like it was nothing. Once he recovered from the attack he tossed Peter into the wall, sending him flying into another room. And than the Lizard charged after us.

"We could really use some more space here," I shouted as I avoided getting swatted by the Lizard's tail. Natasha just tried shooting at him again, but they didn't seem to be doing anything. Every now and than he would flinch until I assumed she ran out of ammo.

"Widow, get out of here and evacuate the building," Hawkeye ordered as he fired another arrow. By now the Lizard had run to where Peter had been thrown. I really hope he wasn't too badly injured. "You go with her," he added after glancing at me.

"Yeah, like that's gonna happen," I muttered with a roll of my eyes. Natasha wasted no time in getting away just as the Lizard had found Peter. Using the Lizard's distraction as an opportunity, I threw my disk into the back of his head in the hopes of knocking some sense into the small brain of his.

"Uh oh." Peter had finally joined us after dressing in his suit. The Lizard turned to face him, lips drawling back in a snarl as Peter taunted him, "someone's been a bad lizard."

I had to laugh as the Lizard just roared back. But my amusement was cut short when the Lizard grabbed a locker door and threw it in our direction. Hawkeye and I jumped out of the way just in time, but the Lizard continued throwing locker doors when he finally found some decent ammo.

We were running out of space as we managed to reach the library. Peter swung after us while the Lizard gave chase. By now the building had been cleared, giving us the chance to cause some damage without injuring any civilians in the process.

"I sure hope Fury doesn't mind paying for all of this," I muttered after using my hand to perform a back flip. Peter managed to trap the Lizard with his webbing, though I had a feeling that it wouldn't hold the Lizard for long.

"I think we've got bigger things to worry about," Hawkeye told me. He aimed another arrow at the Lizard, this time near the ribs. It sent a jolt of electricity through the Lizard, momentarily paralyzing it. Just as the Lizard had pulled it out the sound of sirens wailed from outside.

The Lizard suddenly started throwing more locker doors at us, using the distraction to get further ahead. It took me a few seconds to realize that Peter was leading it away from us. The further he got the more anxious I became. If anything happened to him I would never forgive myself.

I didn't bother giving Hawkeye the chance to tell me to wait. I just followed the trail of destruction, hoping to catch up in time. One of the many reasons why I hated reptiles was the fact that their tails could grow back. The whole idea just groused me out, and seeing the tail now made my stomach twist. What really made me want to vomit was the fact that the tail was still twitching. I just gave the tail a wide birth and reached what I guessed was the library.

Standing near the back of the library was a clueless looking librarian, wearing a pair of headphones. I was about to let him know we weren't alone when the roar of a familiar Lizard caught my attention. And sure enough he was already standing over me, claws extended and ready for a killing blow. Bracing myself for the attack, I stood my ground and glared back.

"Dr. Connors, you're not yourself!" Peter shouted as he grabbed hold of the Lizard.

Wait, Lizard dude was Dr. Connors? Somehow that did not surprise me. In fact, I think it was a bit too obvious. I mean, Connors had been studying reptiles and cross-species genetics.

The Lizard just ignored him and shook him off. I took the moment to throw my disk, this time leaving a nasty bruise on the Lizard's skull. He turned to glare at me, teeth bared as he got ready to charge once again. Just how much energy did one giant lizard have? I was already getting worn out from all the running I had done earlier, and the Lizard was relentless. And at this point Hawkeye might run out of arrows if he caught up with us.

A standoff followed as the Lizard observed us with piercing eyes. At this rate we would both be exhausted if this kept up. But I summoned up the courage to glare back, ready for the Lizard's next move. Suddenly the sound of police sirens wailing in the distance alerted us all. The Lizard used it as a chance to break free, disappearing in a cloud of debris. Peter jumped down to join me, looking more than exhausted.

"You okay?" Peter looked at me warily after taking off the mask.

"Never better," I said shakily. "We have to go after it," I added.

Peter just raised an eyebrow and looked slightly amused. "_We_?" He shook his head before going on, "Your parents will kill me if you go with me. You stay here and explain what happened, I'll be fine."

I was about to argue when something held me back. Call it instinct, but I had a feeling that he was right. Widow and Hawkeye would never let him go if anything serious had happened to me. So nice to have overprotective parents, right?

"Just, please be careful," I murmured, suddenly remembering what Beck had told me a few weeks ago. He'd really be freaking out now if he saw what I was up to. It was probably not a good idea to tell him or Tron what had happened.

"I will be," he said before putting the mask back on.

He was already gone by the time Hawkeye arrived. By now the police were already investigating the scene, asking him who had attacked the school. I just stood in the background and waited for it all to be over. I've never been a fan of the press, and I doubt I ever will be.

"What exactly did this creature look like?" one reporter asked.

_Please let this be over with_, I thought desperately. All I wanted to do now was make sure that the Lizard was stopped. That same uneasy feeling had returned moments after he had vanished. And I knew that no good would come out of this fight.

* * *

**AN: Aha, that scene with Gwen is probably one of my favorites. Getting thrown out of a window is never fun :P Thanks to Briannajs-22 and Panda Bear Lover 317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome :) Hopefully this chapter was just as good ^^ (And maybe you caught hints as to what will happen in Disaster, if so than congrats :P)  
**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

"_I spent my life as a scientist trying to create a world without weakness, without outcasts. I sought to create a stronger human being, but there's no such thing. Human beings are weak, pathetic, feeble minded creatures. Why be human at all when we can be so much more? Faster, stronger, smarter! This is my gift to you_."

For what felt like the hundredth time Natasha replayed the video. We were all gathered at my place after Spiderman had disappeared from the battle at the school. Upon returning Natasha had showed both Clint and I a video SHIELD had found in one of the sewers.

I wasn't sure if I should be groused out by that, or impressed that Connors had found such a hiding place. To top things off he wanted to change the human race. Every bit of this video dairy reminded me too much of Killian and his 'Extremis' project.

"How exactly did SHIELD get this video?" I asked out of curiosity. I'm guessing that it wasn't an easy task.

"Fury located the hideout where Connors was studying the serum," Natasha explained. "The agent didn't have much time to investigate, but they managed to grab this video feed."

I furrowed my eyebrows as I thought this through. Dr. Connors wanted to 'create a stronger human'. What exactly did that mean? From what I gathered he had used what was left of the serum on himself. And of course the crazed Dr. had used the serum on himself as a test subject.

What bothered me more than anything was how similar his idea was to Extremis. There was no easy way out of this fight. Either we strike down the Lizard now or he unleashes this 'gift' he has in store for everyone. This wasn't going to be fun.

"What's the Lizard's location now?" Clint asked once Natasha grabbed the device playing the video.

"Canal Street Station," Natasha replied. "That was the last police report."

Noticing the look they exchanged, I had a feeling that this just got more interesting.

"Better hand this over to Spiderman when we meet up," Natasha added while tossing what looked like a bile of liquid at me. I caught it with ease and eyed the object curiously.

I didn't bother asking what it was supposed to be used for. Something told me it was the antidote for Connor's serum.

. . .

"_The Lizard has released a biological agent. All efforts at stopping him have failed, and he's now proceeding north on Seventh Avenue_."

. . .

One thing I had to wonder was why we were driving in the middle of all this traffic. After finally figuring out Connor's plans we were all in a rush to reach our destination. And of course we had to be stuck in traffic on the way there.

I was glad I had brought the suit Tony designed for me. At least the disk had made a formidable weapon against the Lizard. Otherwise I'd be in trouble. Once this was over I would need to find a new weapon. Preferably one that was similar to the light sword Castor had given me.

"At this rate we'll never get there," Clint muttered under his breath. "Give me one good reason why we shouldn't go there on foot?"

"Fury didn't want us getting caught in the crossfire," Natasha replied.

So why had they been asked to join me in the first place? It wasn't like I could easily reach my destination on foot. Though in this case having a light cycle or a light jet would come in handy. I would have avoided all of this traffic in no time.

"We'll have to improvise from here," Natasha suddenly said. "I'm going to call in for a helicopter, Mira, you go to the Oscorp building on foot," she added to me.

"Why the Oscorp building?" Before Clint could argue with her sudden decision, I knew full well I would take the risk.

"The Oscorp building has a device that I fear Connors is going to use," Natasha explained. "All of his research is there as well."

And considering he had mentioned changing the human race, I would bet all of the cash I had that he meant using the serum on everyone. So I would have to take him down from the inside. Hopefully they would get there on time with that backup.

"Take this with you," she ordered after handing me a fully loaded gun.

My face fell at the sight of the weapon. I wasn't a fan of guns, and I wasn't a fan of using them either. If I had to choose I'd rather use my disk, but that might not be enough against the Lizard. So I just grabbed it and got out of the car, eager to get away before Clint managed to change Natasha's mind.

Jogging past the traffic I wasted no time in reaching my destination. Already I could see in the distance what looked like a fight that had broken out. I'm guessing that was where the Lizard had last been. And judging from the police cars parked in the area, Spiderman had been there as well.

Taking a deep breath, I reached Canal Street Station in a matter of minutes.

And my hunch was right about the damage that had occurred here. Cars were half destroyed and lying in the middle of the streets. And people were also lying in the middle of the street, looking half dead. Upon closer inspection I noticed something that made my stomach twist.

Their faces were covered in a green substance, that almost looked scaly. I held a hand over my mouth to keep myself from gasping in panic. Now I wasn't sure what had happened, but I'm guessing that the substance Connors created had filled the air moments ago. And I was more than thankful I had a mask on to cover my mouth.

This was one of those moments I was thankful to have all the training I had. Without it I probably would've been a sitting target. Tron's drills and simulations had come in handy.

Once I was out of the danger zone, I started jogging again. The Oscorp building loomed ahead in the distance. People walking around had given me strange looks, half wondering what such an oddly dressed girl was doing out in the middle of the night, or running for their lives. Hopefully they would make the smart choice and get away from here. Things were about to get ugly.

. . .

"_Freeze! Down on the ground! Put your hands behind your head! Now... Parker!"_

_"It's headed for Oscorp, and your daughter's right there now. You gotta let me go!"_

_"Hold your fire_!"

. . .

I wasted no time in racing up the stairs to reach the floor Dr. Connors would likely be. At this rate I would be exhausted if this kept up. Training or not I wasn't ready to run up several flights of stars. So I tried to keep a steady pace until I reached the top level. And by than I could see all the damage Connors had caused.

A few more flights of stars and I was standing outside. Several cranes were hoisted in the direction of Oscorp. But what really caught my attention was a machine that likely contained the serum Connors had used earlier.

"Mira, you there?" I looked up to see the helicopter Natasha had promised. They were hovering nearby, keeping a careful lookout for signs of the Lizard.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied after catching my breath.

It didn't take me long to find the Lizard. He was swiping a claw at Spiderman, who kept dodging his moves.

"We need to take out that machine, it's dispensing a cloud of Connor's serum," Clint warned me.

"No. That machine can be used to cure everyone already infected," I suddenly told them.

Just as I said that I felt something slam into my ribs. It took me a few seconds to register what just happened. Looking up I saw that the Lizard was charging after me, tail whipping from side to side. I rolled to the side just as he slammed his claws into the roof, dragging them until he raised them once more.

"Get out of here!" Peter shot a few webs at the Lizard to distract him while I jumped to my feet.

"I've been trained to handle situations like this!" I shouted back. Suddenly remembering the gun Natasha had given me, I aimed it at the Lizard and started firing.

The Lizard suddenly swatted the gun out of my hands with his tail, sending me flying across the concrete in the process. Peter took the chance to attack him, using his webbing and fists to keep the Lizard from charging again. Unfortunately for him the Lizard was also taunting him. "Poor Peter Parker. No father, no mother, no uncle. All alone."

Anger churned within me as he said those words. Without thinking I grabbed my disk and threw it at the Lizard. My aim might not be as good as Clint's, but it was getting better. And this time it hit the Lizard right in the back between what should be his shoulder blades.

"Kid, do you have a death wish?" Someone shouted from behind. I turned to see the familiar face of Captain Stacey.

He aimed his gun at the Lizard that was now preparing to strike me down. Just as my disk returned to me he started firing.

"You might wanna use this!" I called before forgetting about the antidote Natasha had given me.

Peter caught it with ease.

"Go Peter, I got this!" Captain Stacey ordered. Before he could even fire again the Lizard appeared right between us and used his claws to slash at Captain Stacey.

"No!" Both of us shouted at the same time just as Captain Stacey collapsed.

Dr. Connors just turned to give me a cruel smirk. He didn't have a chance to attack when I grabbed something Captain Stacey had been holding on to. It was the same vial Natasha had given to me, and as it smashed across the Lizard's face, he let out a piercing roar.

I didn't bother taking precautions. I carefully dragged Captain Stacey away from the scene and tried to think of any ways of healing him. He already looked pale and had lost a lot of blood. It was times like these I could use the Tesseract to heal other people rather than myself. But unless he was a program with codes there was nothing I could do. My mask receded as his eyes widened with recognition.

"Come Cap, you can't die now," I whispered. As I said that a blue cloud exploded around the city. All at once I was reminded of the orange cloud General Tesler had used to control programs. This was eerily similar to that.

"You're nothing like them, you know." The words sent chills down my spine. We'd met each other a few times over at the police station. And while everyone else kept on saying I looked just like Natasha and Clint, Captain Stacey had said the opposite. "Do me a favor, and keep my daughter safe. And tell Peter that I was wrong about him. He needs to keep those closest to him safe. They'll become targets. And tell Gwen I'm sorry."

Panic gripped my heart as I felt the presence of someone else standing behind me. Or I should say two others standing behind me. Captain Stacey was dying, and there was nothing I could do.

"I'm sorry." He never heard the apology. He was already dead.

"The wounds were too deep." I felt a hand on my shoulder, but I just shrugged it off.

I've already watched too many people die. If there was anything I could do to change this, I would have tried learning how to keep this from happening.

"He wants me to stay away from Gwen, doesn't he?" Turning to see Peter approaching us, I just nodded warily.

For the first time since discovering who my parents were, I felt tears blurring my vision. I should have been able to help. I barely noticed that Peter was crying as well when I felt a pair of arms wrapping around me. I didn't need to look up to see who was keeping me steady.

"We should probably go," Natasha murmured. Before either of us could argue she turned to look at Peter. "The police are already on their way, ready to arrest you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact SHIELD."

I just stared at Peter for a few more seconds before being led away. The helicopter was still running as we climbed in.

It was the last time I saw Peter Parker.

* * *

**AN: So I just saw the Winter Soldier, and I was practically screaming fangirl as soon as the Black Widow appeared. And they kept on leading to the fact that they'll be making a movie about her past! Yes, I was a very, very happy author. And everyone around me was just glaring XD Aside from that, the movie did give me some major ideas for the next book in the series. It revolves more around the Grid of course before Disaster takes place, and it will hopefully be just as exciting as this one.**

**"Can anyone direct me to the Smithsonian? I'm looking for an old fossil" - I could not resist posting that. Best line in the movie XD**

**Big thanks to 2theSky and Guest for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

"_An eerie calm has settled over New York City. Apparently some sort of aerosolized antidote was launched from Oscorp Tower, which seems to have counteracted the biotoxin. Residents of lower Manhattan can rest peacefully, knowing that the alleged mastermind of this terror plot, Dr. Curtis Connors, is behind bars_."

. . .

Silence filled the room as I sat on one side of the desk. Sitting across from me was Director Fury. He was reading the files I had written since Dr. Curtis Connors was arrested three nights ago. I wasn't sure if he was impressed or annoyed that I had put my life on the line so many times.

"Spiderman isn't a threat. He's helped save hundreds of lives that night, and the police still want him arrested," Fury grumbled.

"He helped more than just a few hundred lives," I pointed out, remembering the people already infected with the serum.

"Either way, SHIELD will still be monitoring his every move." Director Fury suddenly leaned forward and eyed me curiously. "Barton told me what happened at the bridge, and the tower," he added.

I raised an eyebrow at him and shrugged. So I risked my life yet again, and was grounded. Not like I haven't done things like this before. Though fighting a giant lizard had been terrifying. And on more than one occasion I was praying the car didn't plummet into the river.

"I was trained for this," I simply replied.

"Even so, I think you've earned some time off, for real this time." What he said next caught me off guard, "I'd also like you to check in on the Grid. From what I've gathered things aren't getting any better. They might need your help."

Might being the operative word. I still wasn't sure what to say to Beck. I was rather hoping I could come up with some sort of apology for leaving them like that.

With a simple goodbye handshake, I walked out of the office to think about what he had said.

. . .

"_Where have you been?"_

_"I..."_

_"My father died. There was a funeral. They shot rifles and made speeches. Two of my teachers showed up, and even Flash showed up. Everyone was there but you."_

_"I can't do this. I can't do this. I'm sorry."_

_"What are you saying?"_

_"I can't see you anymore! I can't!"_

_"He made you promise, didn't he? To stay away from me. So I'd be safe_."

. . .

Four days had passed since Connors was arrested. SHIELD had stepped in to place him under lock down in the same facility as Cyrus. It was finally nice out after having two full days of rain. I took the chance to get out before I checked on the Grid.

Since the night Connors was arrested I had stopped by Captain Stacey's grave twice. Even though I had no direct ties with him, I still felt responsible for his death. That familiar sense of pain kept coming back. Natasha had said that it would take time to get over it.

On my way there I happened to see someone familiar standing at the grave. I wasn't sure if I should avoid her or just see how she was doing. I'm sure right now Gwen needed a friend more than anything else.

"Mira, it's good to see you again," Gwen said after noticing me.

"Hey Gwen," I replied with the faintest smiles. "I... I'm sorry about your father," I added.

Gwen's face paled before she regained her posture.

"He always told me that I should stay strong, even in times like this," she explained once her expression softened. "That eventually I will need to learn how to look after myself. He won't always be here to protect me."

I just stood there in silence. From a very young age I had learned to protect myself. Living on the Grid had forced me to adapt to the situation. I wondered if Gwen would have done the same thing had she been in my position.

"How's Peter?" Her question caught me by surprise. Was she jealous that Peter and I had been friends? _Had_ being the operative word.

Since that night on top of Oscorp we hadn't seen each other. I knew Peter was still angry that I had lied to him. He had every right to be pissed and feel betrayed. I would've felt the same way had someone done this to me.

"I'm... not sure," I admitted guiltily. "We haven't seen each other since we had an... argument."

Gwen just nodded at that and fell silent once more. An awkward silence fell between us as I thought over everything that had happened.

With all the trouble with the Lizard, I never had a chance to patch things up with Beck and Tron. Maybe Director Fury was right to say I should pay them a visit. After all it was my fault I had avoided them all this time.

"I should probably go," Gwen suddenly announced. She glanced at me warily. "Thank you, for caring about him."

I stared at her in disbelief as she walked away. Had she meant her father or Peter? I wasn't sure, but I dared not say anything. Once she was gone I looked up at the tree growing between the graves and held back a sigh of annoyance.

"You can come down, she's gone," I muttered before folding my arms.

Moments later and I was joined by someone I never expected to see again. Peter looked just as surprised as I did before we both burst into laughter. That awkward moment of seeing each other again was short lived.

"Man, you are good," he sighed once he caught his breath. "So uh... I wanted to apologize for what I said that night," he added.

"You don't have to apologize," I told him. "It was my fault... I should have told you the truth from the start."

Another silence followed as we stared at the grave. For the longest time I wondered whether or not being part of SHIELD was what I had really wanted. After the fight with the Lizard, I realized why I had joined SHIELD. It wasn't just to follow in my parent's footsteps. It was to keep the people I cared about safe.

"I can't resist asking, but what's it like being... you know," he asked.

"It feels like they're watching my every move," I replied honestly. "Especially Clint. Having an overprotective father isn't exactly a good thing." We both laughed at that statement. "Everyone always compares me to them. But Captain Stacey... he said I was nothing like them."

I swallowed as I remembered that night. I couldn't get any sleep after that. Both Clint and Natasha had stayed behind to keep an eye on me. That battle had taken an emotional toll on me. I was far from ready for another fight.

"You know, I think he's right," Peter suddenly said. I looked at him in surprise before he explained, "I mean, they're master assassins. And you, you aren't afraid of jumping into danger. You risked your life to help someone you didn't even know. And that takes a lot of guts."

Biting the bottom of my lip, I suddenly realized that he was partly right. If I had told him about the Grid he might think differently. But right now I wasn't sure if he was ready for that. So for now I would leave that part out.

"So does this mean we're friends again?" This time Peter eyed me curiously. I couldn't help but smirk at the question.

"Of course," I replied. "I should probably warn you that SHIELD will be keeping track of you," I added a bit more cautiously. Knowing Fury he was watching me right now. He said that it was a safety protocol. But something told me my overprotective parents had something to do with that.

"I guess I'm okay with that," he said with a shrug. "As long as they don't interfere too much."

"So, we seeing each other again tomorrow?" I asked.

Peter just grinned before nodding in agreement. At least our friendship had been severed. Now I just needed to patch things up with Beck and Tron.

. . .

"_Mr. Parker, tardy again. Well, at least we can always count on you."_

_"Sorry, Miss Ritter, it won't happen again, I promise."_

_"Don't make promises you can't keep, Mr. Parker."_

_"Yeah, but those are the best kind._"

. . .

"_Sir, we've developed the code you asked for."_

_"Excellent. Now we just need our little experiment to move forward."_

_"Sir, what does the code do?"_

_"If my theory is correct, which it usually is, this code will effect the way a User acts. Even repurpose them to my likings."_

_"But why a User?"_

_"You'll find out soon enough, soldier_."

. . .

I was never more happy to be back on the Grid. There was just something about it that always made me feel at home. Maybe because this is where I grew up. And where I learned how to defend myself. So much time has passed since I was last here, especially at Argon City.

Only now something seemed off. The city lights weren't glowing a calm blue and white. Lightning streaked across the sky, signaling that a storm was developing. Despite the day and night features Sam had placed on the Grid, the air was still dark as night.

Well, that wasn't ominous at all. It was probably a good thing I had left Rinzler behind. Something told me that this was about to get ugly.

And sure enough my instincts were right. Almost as soon as I started walking the sound of footsteps echoed behind me. I whirled around, half expecting to see a familiar face. What I did see made my skin crawl with dismay.

Soldiers, wearing the old black guard circuits had surrounded me. They were all armed with stun grenades and smoke bombs. And the only weapons I had were my feet and disk. This wasn't going to end well.

"So, you boys gonna tell me who sent you?" I demanded as I activated my disk.

The soldiers remained silent, much to my disappointment. I was ready to swing when something flew in my direction. I didn't have a chance to react as energy coursed through my system.

A low chuckle followed as I stumbled to the ground. "You'll make a fine experiment." Helmet receding from the soldier's face, I looked on in disbelief at the familiar sight. Before I could fight back another stun grenade was thrown in my direction. Black spots clouded my vision as my consciousness started to fade.

Where was that backup when I needed it the most?

* * *

**AN: So the last bit was more like a prologue than anything else /= But I wanted to post it here to lead into the sequel. The sequel will likely be shorter word-wise, but I've already got quite a few chapters typed up and planned out. Big thanks to 2theSky and Panda Bear Lover 317. You guys are amazing :) And a thank you to everyone who reviewed earlier or even gave this story a quick glance. Means a lot to me ^^**

**(And if anyone hasn't found out, MercyMe's new album is out today on the 8th of April! If you haven't ordered it now than I recommend getting it. Amazing music from a great band)**


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